Silhouette
by Agent Glitch
Summary: What if there was a witness when Shinichi first became Conan? And what if it just happened to be one of the DCI? Will this witness be a friend or a foe? Haibara warned Conan of someone lurking near his house. And who else will be involved? Rated T for future chapters...?
1. Just a Stay in Osaka

**Hi guys! I just decided to take a break from my Du Shur'tugal fanfic. I love writing, and I love reading Conan... and I love Dance Central too. But you won't see much of them yet. Ha, a DC on DC Xover. So, here, enjoy! Sorry about the Japanese suffixes, I don't know all of them and will probably dump them later on. Also, to make things easier, in Conan's point of view, English will be bolded, and in Glitch's, Japanese will be in bold. **

**"**_I'm a silhouette asking every now and then, _

_'Is it over yet? Will I ever love again?'__**"**_

**~ Silhouette **_- Owl City _

"Ah, there you are, Conan-kun! I've been looking high and low for you," said Ran, an edge of annoyance to her voice.

Conan turned to see her face, shadowed by worry. She was right, of course. He had been running around, following Heiji. The Osakan detective had been taking him out to lunch with him and Kazuha. "Sorry, Ran-neechan."

They were in Osaka at the moment, Heiji's house to be exact. Heiji had gone to park his motorbike while Kazuha was beside Ran. It was midday. "I thought you had told her that you were out with us, Conan-kun," she said.

_Dang, I forgot! _Conan thought of kicking himself for forgetting. He sighed. If he were still Shinichi, Ran wouldn't have to worry about him. "I forgot," he said, voice childishly quiet and apologetic. He let his head down, facing the ground underneath him as of he were completely and truly guilty for what he had done. Of course, it was just an act.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again. After all, we're staying in Osaka for a week before getting back," Ran said. Because her father had been offered a one-person cruise on a luxury ship, Heiji offered for them to stay at his place. Ran had agreed, partially because she could meet Kazuha a lot. Kazuha had even let Conan stay at Heiji's while Ran stayed at her own place.

Conan grimaced, imagining Kogoro laughing in his drunken state. _The old man's just a dreamer. I do all the work and get no credit. Not even from Heiji. _Instead, of course, the Osakan detective would try and use any excuse to make it seem like he was better than either Kogoro, Shinichi, and every other detective he knew.

"Okay," said Conan before heading out to find Heiji. He hadn't really agreed to come, as he never really liked Heiji that much for teasing him and often calling him as Kudo when they were near Ran. Still, he couldn't stay at home, so he had to come.

He found Heiji alone, sitting in his room, scraping dust off his helmet. "Yo," the Osakan greeted. "I'll bet ya gotta good beatin', eh?"

"You didn't remind me?"

"Nah, love seein' ya gettin' a scoldin' from her, ya know?" As he spoke, Heiji's eyes showed the sly expression that Conan had become used to seeing in them.

"I'm not a kid, you know," Conan grumbled, folding his arms above his red shirt. His voice had lost all trace of the innocence he used to speak to Ran and Kazuha.

"Well, yer as close to bein' a kid as ya'll ever be," Heiji laughed, while ruffling Conan's dark brown hair.

Ducking, Conan groaned. "You..." He reflected on how the western detective had always bugged him. _He's always like this. Just wait 'till I get back at him! _

They both started as Ran opened the room door. Her face – which was still showing concern – peeked through the doorway."Conan-kun? I just thought I should see whether you're comfortable."

"Y – yeah, I'm fine, Ran-neechan," Conan stammered. He scratched the back of his neck with his right hand, trying to express the look of a little boy. _Why does she keep worrying about me anyway? _

"Oh, okay then. Take care of him, will you, Hattori-kun?" Ran smiled and stepped out, letting Heiji's reply of "'Course, neechan" come through the gap before closing the door.

"She still cares 'bout 'cha, eh, Kudo?"

"According to her, I'm just a kid," replied Conan, making his voice as calm as possible, though he felt like snapping at Heiji. _Ugh!_

"Aww, mah wittle Conan-kun's angwy!" Conan glared at Heiji, hating the way he spoke. Quickly he lifted the top of his tranquilliser watch and aimed it at Heiji. That was enough to shut his mouth.

"Okay, okay, sorry, jes' that the way she cooin' ya makes m' laugh," said Heiji with both hands lifted into a 'stop' signal. Conan nodded and closed his wristwatch. "So... what're we doing today, Hattori? We still have hours before sundown."

"Well, whaddya wanna do? Ya already saw all of Osaka, an' it seems that yer girlfriend ain't no wanna go anywhere,' y'know?" asked Heiji back.

"She's _not _my girlfriend!"

"Is."

"Not."

"Is."

Conan dug his hand into the right pocket in his jeans and took out his voice changing bow tie and quickly adjusted the settings to Heiji's voice. "Oh, I jes _love _Kazuha, th' sound 'f her voice jes sweeps m' off mah feet!" Conan spoke with Heiji's Osakan accent, which would have tricked anyone instantly if he had been talking over the phone, even though it was a messy imitation.

Heiji looked at him incredulously, his mouth gaping open and his hands stiff. "_What _did ya jes say?!"

Now it was Conan's turn to laugh. He laughed until his belly hurt and his eyes streamed with tears of mirth. He laughed and laughed, his glasses nearly falling off whenever he shook. He took another look at Heiji's face before doubling up again. He dropped onto the floor, and lay down while the other highschooler looked at him, dumbfounded.

Heiji's hand curled up in a fist. Knowing this meant danger, Conan stopped immediately, and the room became silent. "Sorry," said Conan, tucking his bow back into his pocket, "I just couldn't stand another second with you and your teasing. By the way, I wish I had that on video. Your face was priceless." Privately, he pictured Kazuha taking on Heiji if she heard Conan speaking through Heiji's voice. The thought was almost enough to make him giggle again.

"Do that jes _one more time _an' yer gonna get it!" Heiji threatened, venom in his voice. "Yeah, sure, cool down, man. It was just one little joke, you know. No need to whip up war," Conan commented. Then the de-aged detective poked Heiji's fist and added, "You might want to loosen this too."

"Huh." Heiji didn't seen convinced about his words, but Heiji still let his fingers open, and Conan saw light bouncing off his sweaty palm. _Whoa, he jokes all the time, but when I get back at him he does this? _He noted to himself to be careful not to get his glasses broken. If this detective lost his temper, it would be almost impossible to predict what would happen next.

Suddenly Conan's phone rang. He took it out and answered the call with a "Hello?" and heard Ai speaking. "So, great detective, how goes your trip?"

Even though he knew she couldn't see him, Conan rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. Then, before he could reply, he heard a few noises from his phone and heard Agasa talking to him. "Shinichi, is there a pill bottle in your bag?" Meanwhile, Conan flipped the phone into speaker mode, so that Heiji could hear too.

"Let me guess. The antidote?"

"...Yes." Then Ai took the phone. "When the table shook, I thought the bottle would have fallen into your open bag before you came to take it. Am I correct?"

"Well, it's here..." Conan felt surprised. Haibara wasn't that cluttered up to forget such an important item. _Odd... _He rolled the small bottle with two fingers. A number of shiny while capsules were stuffed inside, their edges glinting. The tall form of Heiji arched over him. "Nice. Ya could make today her day, y'know, an' she'll be happy fer days after."

Conan grumbled. "Thanks for nothing." Then he turned his attention to the phone again and said, "Why did you put this here, Haibara?"

He heard her grunt. "I knew the falling bottle story wouldn't fool you."

"Then why lie?" Conan – Shinichi – was puzzled. This was no idle chit-chat, he knew, as this concerned the risk of dangerous pills being found out. Heiji bore a similar expression, as he could also hear the conversation. His hands were clasped neatly behind his back, standing. Conan, on the other hand, still sat while golding the bottle. He counted the pills. _Eight. _He also realized that, hidden underneath everything else he had packed, were a few clothes that would fit him if he ever changed back.

"Because before you came to pick up your bag, there was this... suspicious person lurking about." Haibara spoke with slowness, as if trying to emphasize the scale of the dilemma. "He didn't look to be of the Black Organization, and I didn't feel strange, and he looked to be younger than you – the real you. He didn't speak at all, and did little more than stare at your house, but I felt like something would be up, so here we are now, here you are listening, and there are the pills. And, Heiji, if you're hearing this – "

"He is," Conan cut in.

"– these are _not _for impressing Ran." At that point, Haibara had gained the impression of dry humor. Now, she continued with her cautionary words. "Even though you are in Osaka, there is no guarantee that you will be safe." _You only use me as a guinea pig anyway, _thought Conan, but he listened again. "Although, the person I saw was only between fourteen and seventeen. I can't say that he took the APTX 4869 as well, because he was different from what I know the organization was like. He didn't wear all black either. Actually, by the look of his clothes, I dare say he looked like a dancer of some sort..."

_A dancer. Nothing to worry about. Just some boy looking at a huge house, probably wishing he owned it. But if Haibara feels that something is up, then something really _is _up. She won't just do this as a practical joke... Unlike Heiji._

After a few words, Haibara hung up. Conan sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tips of his fingers tickle when they touched the thin strands. "So," he said not to himself, nor to Heiji, "just a dancer. I guess we don't have to worry much."

"Ya speak for y'self. Dunno what all this has to do with me, so you gon' do what'cha do, I'm gonna stay outta yer business." For that, Conan was grateful. Heiji was a good friend and a thoughtful detective, but he was also clumsy and narrow-minded sometimes. "Thanks," he said, though his voice was rather ungracious.

They spent the rest of the day without much to think about. Conan had dropped his worries about the call he and Haibara shared. Heiji had warned him, which was a little unlikely, but Conan kept in mind to be cautious.

Ran and Kazuha had gone off earlier, so that Conan could speak freely without fear of getting caught, as long as he was near Heiji. Of course, Heiji's father was still at work.

They had dinner, which was delicious. Conan savored it, while Heiji acted as if he had this every day, along with saying that Osaka was _definitely _better than Tokyo. Conan had laughed, somehow.

By nighttime, Conan received a text message from Haibara again. She had said that the young teenager who had visited the Kudo's house was staying at a hotel near Ayumi's apartment, or that was what Ayumi had said. Haibara had been going to Ayumi's for a school group work, and she just happened to see the boy go into the hotel close by. Conan replied with, _I don't know why he did what he did, but try to stay careful. We could be in for a dangerous little game._

Heiji slept through the night quickly enough, while Conan had trouble getting himself to come. He felt a bit of apprehension, unease, but also felt as if he could have found a potential ally. Perhaps things could turn out better instead of worse.


	2. Back To Where it All Started

**Now then, I was trying to make it obvious who it was that visited Shinichi's house. I'm pretty sure you all know, if you actually read this. So.. here's a new point of view in my second chapter. Enjoy!**

**"**_And though the embers are new,_

_Whatever you do, just don't let the fire die_**"**

**~ Embers **- _Owl City_

The screams of agony still echo in his mind. The disbelieving sight of the illegal transfer, how they didn't notice him skulking about. But they noticed the other one who saw what happened. And one of them struck the second witness.

He had fallen to the ground, breathing fast. He had been shaken, almost unconscious. No one realized that another person still stood close by.

He could remember the sounds, almost inhuman, that rolled off the older boy's tongue. He could still feel the surprise he felt. How, in all of things, could there be a medicine that actually _shrunk _the teenager into the body of a child ten years younger?

And then there was the unharmed witness, Glitch.

Now, here he was, back in Japan. He remembered when he first saw the transfer. He couldn't speak Japanese, but it was easy to comprehend what happened. All that money in a heavy-security locked case, the weapons, and what they did to a witness. It had occurred during Glitch's last night in Japan before he went home with the rest of the DCI after their enjoyable vacation.

But it wasn't all that enjoyable for Glitch.

After he was back at home, he had spent long hours searching for the name of the teen he saw. His dance partner Mo notified his behaviour and questioned him, but he kept saying that he wasn't looking for anything out of the ordinary. It took long, but he eventually learned that the witness's name was Shinichi Kudo, a high school detective. He learned that what happened was unknown to the public, and they only learned that no one knows where he was.

He had looked for the detective's house, which was definitely _not _easy. Unfortunately, the house was empty, without any sign of a resident living inside, so he concluded that Shinichi had fled, probably afraid of being found out.

Glitch had left with an ominous feeling, the feeling he got when he was being watched. He caught a cold gaze from a little girl with brown hair, but he was sure that she wasn't the one that gave him his insecurity. After all, it was just a girl.

He retraced his steps to his hotel. It was a very tall building, and the other members of the dance crew were probably having fun somewhere in the hotel. He didn't feel the urge to join them, however. He just walked around the hotel, watching the sun set behind the crowns of buildings.

He sat down on a bench under a tree in a nearby park. Then he took out his music player and listened to the music for a while. While listening to one of his favorite songs, he flashbacked to when he came to find Shinichi Kudo.

_After he had last asked a nearby resident, who was helpful enough by being able to speak English, he finally found out the exact location of the house he was looking for. He pinpointed his destination and found it without difficulty. The sun was still high above his head, and sweat beaded his neck while he ran towards the house. He slowed his pace a few blocks away, however, and wiped the sweat off his face so that it would look as if he were just a passerby who just happened to admire the house. _

_However, he wouldn't look as if he'd been there before. He started with surprise when he saw the huge house. It was obviously very expensive. He wondered how many people would live there. He had only learned that before he mysteriously disappeared, Shinichi Kudo lived with his parents in the house. _

_The house next to Shinichi's also caught his eye. "Does everyone have big houses here?" he asked himself. He then turned his vision to see Kudo's house again. He placed a hand on one of the bars of the gate. It was dusty and dirty, and around the house were other attributes that suggested the fact that the house had been abandoned._

_Then he felt something strange. He heard noises from behind. Looking to his side, he expected to see Mo or some other dancer that came with him. Instead, his eye caught that of a young girl. She did not look like what she appeared to be. The serious expression on her face, for example. It was enough to make Glitch shiver. _

_With that, he walked back to where he came. _

The sun had set and Glitch had gone into the hotel, ground floor, in front of two lifts near a small corridor. He didn't go into his room, nor did he meet up with any of his friends... or so he thought. A hand rested on his shoulder. "Yo, Lil' Man. Where _have _you been? You missed all the fun." Glitch recognized this voice as Mo. "Sorry. Just lookin' 'round these parts... Y'know..."

Mo crossed his arms. "Alright. You do what you will, but if you're looking for me, I'll be with the others on the dance floor. You know, like last time we've been here, that floor?"

"Yeah, sure." Glitch didn't feel like doing anything.

Mo turned back to him. "You've been acting strange lately... Don't make me remind you. You've been like this ever since we left Japan. Now you're doing it again. Sure, do your stuff and such, but you still gotta practice. No one wants Hi-Def to lose in battle these days, no?"

"We're on vacation. No one gon' battle jes yet."

"We aren't going to stay here forever. Here's some cash, do whatever you will with it, but _be back here _in an hour. You're going to practice dancing, want it or not."

"Okay."

"Oh, and once you're gonna get there, don't forget your DCI agent outfit."With that, Mo left Glitch standing in the corridor, just beside the hotel lift. Glitch jammed his money into his pocket and went back to second lift, as Mo had taken the second one before Glitch could decode where to go. He pressed number 51, and arrived at his room floor. The corridors were hauntingly silent, which unnerved his as much as the sight of the girl had. He found room 5123, and used his key to open the door, turned the electricity on and watched TV.

_Mo's right. I have to practice, even if some things distracting me... _So he brushed up on his moves, using his mp3 player to help him get around. He turned off the TV right before he began.

Once he was satisfied, which was about half an hour later, he opened the hotel room window curtains. Beside the hotel, he realized, was an apartment. It was just about as tall as his hotel, and even then he could see people flooding the streets around it. Lights colored the scenery he saw. The lights reminded him of the bright colors that he saw at the amusement park, where he saw Shinichi Kudo and the transfer. Again, Glitch flashbacked, this time to the incident that made him give a whole new perspective to the world.

_"That was fun!" sighed Lil' T. Her sister Taye nodded. Almost all of them had taken a ride on the roller coaster. Glitch had enjoyed it too. It would have been their last ride together before all of them got back to the hotel to pack up and go to the airport back home. _

_Then Glitch heard shouts from the roller coaster ride again. He ran back, leaving the other dancers to see what was going on. The it took long, but soon he got there safely. He saw the people talk in Japanese, so he couldn't understand what was happening. Lucky for him, there was a person the told him what had stirred up so many people. "Murder," the tourist said. _

_"Murder!" Glitch muttered to himself, and left. Before he did, however, he saw the police, as well as a seventeen year old teenager. _Why would they let a teenager there? _Glitch was quizzical, and yet he kept his questions to himself. He left, however, still thinking. He got on a few rides before exploring the edges of the park. _

_He almost gasped, and he was glad he didn't make a sound. He shrank back, hiding behind a wall. It was a good hiding place, and he prayed that no one found him out._

_He saw a man, who spoke with a loud voice. The man held a large case in his hands, and he saw lots of money in it. Glitch wished he could call the police, but he saw another man, who held weapons. The second man was short and rather meaty, and even Glitch could tell that this wasn't something ordinary. _Could this be illegal? _He thought to himself. He noticed a third pair of eyes, and the figure of a teenager... the same one that was at the roller coaster murder!_

_Glitch watched the transaction, and almost wanted to run when he saw another man, clad in black, that struck the teenager down. He watched as the older boy's head bled, and fear almost drove him mad. _

_The shorter man in black was speaking, bit the other one spoke with clear denial. Then the tall man took out something and plopped it in the teen's mouth. Then the man took out a vial of water and poured it down the victim's throat. _

_Glitch realized what was happening. _Poison, _he thought. He watched as all the men withdrew, leaving the teen on the ground. Glitch still wasn't ready to run. He was afraid, however. He didn't want to be the only one to see this death._

_But it wasn't death. He saw the teen struggle, thrashing, and heard high-pitched screams that were almost inaudible. Glitch winced and closed his eyes, afraid. When he opened them, he did not know when, he saw the unconscious little boy. _Wait... little boy?! _Glitch rubbed his eyes. There it was. The teen was shrunken. Glitch could hardly believe it. He wanted to approach, but he felt as if he couldn't. Long he waited, long he watched, until he heard shouting and men in uniform. _They'll help him, _thought Glitch, and he left to find his friends._

Bored, Glitch turned on his music player to one song he had begun to take a liking to. It was by Owl City, which was a little out of character for him, because he usually liked songs that he could dance to easily. This song was rather upbeat, though, so he liked it. It was titled _I'm Coming After You_, and was about a highspeed race around town. He mouthed the lyrics, sometimes thinking up a dance move that would match the rhythm. He replayed the song and tried to dance to it.

_I saw your face in a criminal sketch_

_Don't be alarmed 'cause you don't me yet_

_I'm on the prowl now, sniffing around this town for you_

For this, Glitch could only think of little moves, such as Prowl. The rest of the time he simply improvised. It was a good start to the song, however.

_Calling all cars, there's an officer down_

_Shot to the heart on the night on the town, and_

_The evidence of your fingerprints was found, and now_

Glitch used Howl, then a move that included spinning and then pointing downwards, as well as moving his feet. Then he clenched his right hand and pressed it against his chest, then did a rebel-like shot by making his hand into a gun and shook it, as if he had pulled a trigger. Then he did Wipe, and a quick Soul Slide to the left before jumping to the right.

_You got the right to remain right here with me_

_I'm on your tail in a hot pursuit_

_Love is a high speed chase racing down the street_

Now Glitch pointed with his right hand, spinning it in a small circle at the same time, then pointing at himself. Then he did East West before pointing right front. Then he did a move that was similar to Push Back, but faster.

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

This was difficult for Glitch, so he just let his feet move by themselves. He settled on Longboard Breaker for the first cheer, then Ichiban for the second, and a made-up move for the last. He jumped with his fist in the air, spun quickly, and pointed with both hands to the front whole bending his knees slightly.

_Oh no, here we go once again_

_We both know you'll never turn yourself in_

_So I'm driving 'till it's light out, searching for your hideout_

Glitch did Pulley, then Scream, then did a move that involved raising his arms and spinning his right hand around his left wrist, as if he were tying it with a rope, then put both hands behind his waist as if he were tied up. Then he did Push Back again, and a few other moves.

_Pick up the pace as I chase you around_

_One of these days I'll end up tracking you down_

_But yeah, I've got the feeling I'll be letting you loose when I do_

Now he pulled his right hand beside his waist again, and stomped with one foot, left hand in front of him as if he were driving and speeding up. He began to smile as he danced. He almost forgot his worries. Then he pointed in front again. "Too much pointin' 'round," he grumbled, still dancing. He did a quick move with his legs and feet before slapping the floor in front of him, as if he were frustrated.

_Because you, you got the right to remain right here with me_

_I'm on your tail in a hot pursuit_

_Love is a high speed chase racing down the street_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_You got the right to remain right here with me_

_I'm on your tail in a hot pursuit_

_Love is a high speed chase racing down the street_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

Glitch did the same moves as before, adding little variation. He had fallen onto his bed for a while, letting the song roll on until he decided to move again. He thought of little during this time. He was caught in a frenzy, and nothing mattered to him besides getting all the moves right.

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_Woo-oo woo-oo woo, I'm coming after you_

_I'm coming after you_

_I'm coming after you!_

Glitch's finishing move was to swing his right arm up from behind, then slowly letting it down. He berated himself for pointing so much, but he was pleased with his work. He took out the dance journal he had brought with him and noted all the moves he did. He sat on his bed, breathing slowly and trying to slow his racing heart, which beat fast after his run-in. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stood up.

He checked the time. Fifty minutes had passed since he met up with Mo near the lift on the lobby floor. _Ten minutes... _Glitch would have to meet up with the other dancers soon. He changed his clothes, which included putting his suspenders on while letting them hang low instead of putting them on his shoulders. Then he fixed his hair, taking a while to get it spiky, as it usually looked like. Then he colored part of it purple, and he was done.

He let himself cool down a bit before taking out his room key card and locking the room up. He took the lift to get to the dance club floor to find Mo. _I still need to dance. I'll worry about this Kudo later._


	3. Trip to Tokyo

**Man, that was **_**hard! **_**Also, to those who would rather have this story as a normal fanfic and not a crossover, I'll make a new version of this fic with a different character instead. Sound good? And, yes, I'm a huge fan of Owl City. Don't blame me.**

**Also, from now on I'll be using lyric quotes as a timeskip.**

**"**_Splash down in the silver screen_

_Into a big dramatic scene_**"**

**~ Dreams Don't Turn to Dust **- _Owl City_

"Yes... I know... I won't forget... turn right... yes... yes... yes... You don't have to talk to me like that, don't forget." Conan muttered as Heiji flooded him in directions to find the restaurant through the phone. He hung up. He, Heiji, Ran and Kazuha were going to a newly opened restaurant inside a mall, and the Osakan had gone to find Kazuha and told him to stay back until he returned, but of course he just decided that Conan would have to get there on his own.

_Who is he to think I can walk that far so quickly? My legs are shorter than his. _Still fuming, Conan walked up the road while memorizing Heiji's directions. He had already been to the mall once, so he knew where to go. Of course, Heiji wouldn't remember that. Heiji only took Conan to whichever place would seem interesting, and probably not remember where he had been to and where he hadn't. The high school detective only cared about convincing his friends that Osaka was best.

It was Conan's last day in Osaka, and the train was going to take then home in about out an hour, so Conan and Ran made sure to make the best of it. They agreed to go to the mall because it was relatively close to the train station.

His phone rang for the third time that day. He picked up the call and heard Heiji say, "Where are ya? We're gonna eat soon, but yer girlfriend ain't lettin' us eat 'till ya get here. Speed up, will ya?"

"I'm only a few block away since you last called. I be there in about five minutes. Save your worry for later." With that, Conan ran for it, wishing he had his skateboard. But still, in less that five minutes, he arrived. The mall wasn't all that crowded, so it was easy to find the restaurant. Heiji raised an arm in greeting. "Ya took long enough."

"Heiji, don't scold him. It's your fault that he came late. You should have picked him up!" Kazuha defended Conan.

"He managed." Heiji's reply was short.

"Just barely!"

"Well, he's here now, an' it's over anyways."

"It's _not _over!"

Ran and Conan could only watch as the two battled with words. Twice Ran tried to break them apart, while Conan just enjoyed the show. But as the quarrel stretched on and on, Conan and Ran ordered the food themselves, Heiji and Kazuha not realizing that they were gone, until at last they quieted.

Conan checked his watch. Fifteen minutes had passed. _Fifteen! I'll have to finish this meal in a half-hour if I'm to get back to Tokyo in time. _"Ran-neechan, we have to go in half an hour."

Ran nodded and they ate. Kazuha and Heiji talked with them until they finished eating, and what happened next passed like a blur to Conan. He and Ran were soon in the train.

**"**_When fire and ice collide_**"**

**~ The Real World **- _Owl City _

The train sped through the tracks that would take them back to Tokyo. Ran sat on one of the seats, Conan just beside her. Conan decided to ring Haibara up and tell her that he had no need to take his antidote that week. Nothing had occurred that required Conan to take the antidote, and he didn't mind at all.

Heiji had taken him up all the way to the station. Hour and Kazuha had both waved goodbye to them. Conan did not know where they were now or what they were doing, but he imagined them arguing again. He almost laughed when he recalled the time he pretended to coo over Kazuha with Heiji's voice.

Ran noticed his smile. "You seen to be in a good mood, Conan-kun. What is it?"

"N – nothing, Ran-neechan. I just remembered about the time Heiji-niichan and Kazuha-neechan were quarreling." Conan imitated the smile of a kid and looked away, but he turned back when Ran smiled.

"They remind me of the fights I used to have with Shinichi..." Ran's voice was wistful. Conan wished he could comfort her. Ran went on, "I remember one fight in particular... when we were still in junior high school."

Conan listened on as Ran spoke about the memories. He blushed a little when Ran said that Shinichi was an 'arrogant, bragging show-off who was a maniac over detective time stories' and how he always held his head high whenever he solved a case. _She's probably right, _he admitted to himself grudgingly.

"Shinichi wanted to prove a man's alibi, and so he ditched school for days. The man saw a dog that supposedly Wass behind a wall. When I suggested that the man was able to see through walls, he told me I was stupid, and so I called him that back. And even though he solved the case, I guess I thought worse of him and still ignored him... but that was long ago."

Conan's throat felt as if it were constricting, so he swallowed and turned away. He realized that he still needed to call Haibara and Professor Agasa.

So he excused himself, going to stand near the front of the train car. Then he fished out his phone from the pocket and called Agasa's house. He heard a rustle as Haibara picked it up. "Kudo?"

"Yeah. Has anything happened in the past week?"

"Well, that dancer-kid we were talking about, he's been to your house again once, but he didn't stay long. He also tried to ring up the Professor, but he wasn't home at that moment and of course I didn't let him in."

"Oh." Conan felt both relieved and unsettled. "Is he here now? Hakase, I mean. No? Okay then. I'll be back in about ten minutes, and I'll try and get to your house."

He hung up and sighed. Walking back to Ran, a small smile split his face. He did not know why. Perhaps it was because he was glad that the threat would be gone soon, and that he felt optimistic? Or was it because he would be back home soon? He shook his head, but his mood lightened when he went back to sit next to Ran. The view outside the train blurred and Conan looked outside.

**"**_There's a rushing sound that surrounds us when we walk alone_

_And it's everything we've never known_**"**

**~ I'll Meet You There **- _Owl City_

"Haibara-san?" Conan peeked into the door, which he opened little more than a crack. She wasn't there. Sighing, Conan went outside, wanting to go to his house. And he meant _his _house, not Ran's. He was the one who held the key to the house, after all.

He jumped when he heard a throat being cleared. "Haibara?!" She and the professor were both standing behind him. "Where have you been?"

"Around." She set the record straight enough.

"... I wanted to return the antidote. Here." he held out his right hand and opened it, revealing the shiny bottle between his fingers, and it produced a light rattling noise as the pills inside clattered against each other. "As I told you before, I didn't need them, not one."

Haibara took the bottle and stored it somewhere in the house basement. "You better watch out. You don't want to bump into the kid again."

"I know," he said heavily. "Well, I'll be seeing you." he made for the door, but the Professor stopped him with a "Shinichi!" and he turned around. "Yes?"

"Be... be careful."

"I will, don't worry about me! You're starting to sound like Hattori!" Conan answered a little rougher than what he meant to say. He shrugged in an apologetic fashion and walked outside, closing the door with a _click. _He put both hands into his pockets and walked outside.

But then his eye caught a small figure walking up the pavement. He saw the shape of a young boy, about fourteen, and he knew right away that this was who Haibara warned him about. _What does he want with me...? _

But the longer he looked, the less he thought that this person was a threat. He didn't wear all in black, and even his eyes showed Conan the young curiosity of a teen of his age. He moved with a slight clumsiness, sometimes tripping over a stone, not slow, careful and cautious like even Haibara walked with.

Conan hid behind the wall that bordered his house and the professor's. He used his glasses and zoomed closer so that he could see the dancer with a better view, and with less a risk to be seen himself.

The dancer wore a half-tucked shirt that was colored purple. Conan noticed that the fourteen-year-old also wore purple shoes. His hair stood up, like a shock hairstyle. Two suspenders hung from his jeans, which made Conan even more sure that this kid really was a dancer. And, to his surprise, when the teen turned his head Conan saw that his hair was streaked with purple.

His hands were in his pockets and he stood watching the house, observing. His eyes were searching and wide with wonder. Whenever a leaf would fall from one of the yard trees, his narrow gaze would follow the fall of the leaf until it stopped moving. It was rather hard for Conan to stay still. He was shifting from foot to foot, wanting to either run over or run away.

The dancer just stood. Then he cleared his throat and said to himself in English, **"Glitch, there's no one here and probably never will be. This Shinichi Kudo you saw would be in hiding... Glitch, just give up, will you?" **_Glitch... Odd name, _Conan thought to himself. But then again, he was a dancer. _And how does he know my name?! And how, oh how, would he know that I've gone in hiding?! What else does he know? Does he know about the organization? Does he know where I live now? Does he know about Ran?!_

Then this 'Glitch' slapped his forehead and sat on the pavement edge. He tapped his feet, and Conan realized that there was an earphone in his ear that was connected to a music player in his hand. Still, the dancer looked frustrated. Conan wondered whether he should show himself or not. This teen was young and probably without skill at all, and he definitely wasn't armed with a tranquilizer wristwatch like he was.

Conan weighed the odds. It took only a while, but each second passed as a minute. He was both afraid and excited. Only he could choose what happened next. Glitch was getting up, about to leave. He walked slowly, as if reluctant. But then Conan heard him mutter to himself, **"I'll be back tomorrow anyway. Hope he's here... No, he won't be. I'm never going to see whatever happened after his body shrunk and he ran away..." **

His words struck Conan like a lightning bolt; a huge, white-hot, jagged, flashing lightning bolt that would have burned Conan down to the core. _He knows... He knows _everything_! He knows what happened to me... but why didn't he tell anyone... No one ever attacked me besides the organization themselves, and they still target Haibara more than me... they don't know I'm Shinichi Kudo. how did he know?! _Conan was breathing like a madman that had been running for ten days straight without water or food. _Easy, Shinichi, easy... _Conan hated to admit it, but he was in more shock now than when he first met Haibara and she called him by his true name.

As the young dancer left, Conan's feet began to move by themselves, driving him forward with almost incredible speed. He caught up with Glitch only seconds after. He shouted without thinking, **"Wait!"**


	4. Shadows of The Past

**Warning: this chapter is incredibly long with lots of explanations. If you don't want to read them, skip to the next chapter section after the second lyric quote. **

**"**_All my life I wish I broke mirrors instead of promises_

_'Cause all I see is a shattered conscience staring right back at me_**" **

**~ Tidal Wave **- _Owl City_

"Wait!"

The call made Glitch whip around, hands flying, eyes narrowed. But when he saw the speaker, he was so shocked that he wouldn't be more surprised if Mo suddenly rose up from the ground in front of him.

He saw a little boy, who seemed to be of no more than seven, with dark brown hair that hung low, just above his eyebrows. A few strands stuck up from behind his head. A pair of large glasses obscured his eyes, which were a deep dark blue. From somewhere in those voids, a thousand emotions coursed through them.

There was a bold and unwavering bravery. There was a determination so great that Glitch knew a mere child wouldn't have. There was a wise intelligence that shine so bright in them, a look at his face would tell anyone that he was out of the ordinary.

There was also _love, _love that was unreadable to Glitch, for he could not describe what sort of love was held. Glitch saw streams of rebellion that splashed cold waters of battle, against whoever it was to turn him into a shadow of his former self. There was deep, deep heartache, for all he had lost.

There was shock, shock to, Glitch thought, what he had said. There was a guarded steel glint in the boy's eyes, to guard all that he had kept secret. There was knowing, knowing when danger would strike and when all was safe. There was a tense anger, anger that he had been found out and caught off guard.

There was compassion, though to who it was Glitch would never be able to tell. There was danger, for he could bring Glitch to speak right away if he wanted to. There was uncertainty, which Glitch knew all too well because it was something he had felt too, but not this strong.

There was something else that Glitch couldn't put his finger on... _fear._

Fear, great fear. Fear of the past that haunted him, fear of the future that lay deep under murky seas, fear of the present, for it was what one should think of most. Fear of the evil that embraced him tightly, fear of the thin ray of light disappearing. What was once clear and brighter was shaded by uncertainty. And there was also fear of... fear of Glitch.

This person would not know what Glitch intended. He could have helped him as much as he could have betrayed him. Glitch would not seem to be one who could make such a big impact on one's life, but, as Glitch knew, appearances were not to be judged by. Glitch _knew, _he just _knew _that this was the Shinichi Kudo that he had been searching for. To Glitch, this was the one who changed the impossible to the possible.

And that was all he saw in a single heartbeat.

But Glitch could never be sure, not unless he tried. But what was it that he should try? If he asked a child whether he was Shinichi Kudo and he was not, he would arise dangerous suspicions. If he began to speak of what he saw, of the teenager's greatest ordeal, he could be putting the real Shinichi's life in great danger. The only thing Glitch could do was take off the boys glasses. The boy had not moved more than an inch. Glitch slowly brought himself to stand on one knee and put both hands on the boy's glasses, and in one swift movement, the lenses were off.

And that was when Glitch felt utter disbelief.

But, in only a short time, he regained himself and asked, hoping the 'Shinichi' in front of him could speak English, he asked, "Are you Shinichi Kudo?"

He hesitated, then lifted both arms and said, "All right." Then Shinichi – for Glitch to give him a name – cursed in Japanese, before he said again, "But if you want to talk, let's do it in there," and pointed to the large house that nested just to the side of Shinichi's.

Glitch stood and was about to approach the house, but Shinichi stopped him with a hand. "I think it would be better if I went in first... I'll be in for a real scolding." Then he took a deep breath, but before he could go in Glitch asked, "Why? Does anyone else know 'bout..." He searched for the right word. "...er...this?" he gestured vaguely, waving his arms in a circle, trying to describe what happened to Shinichi in a single move.

"Well... yes. That house belongs to a good friend of mine, Professor Agasa. I call him Hakase. He was the first one to care for me when I first became Conan."

"Conan? As in..."

"Oh, yes. That's what I named myself as an alias."

"It doesn't seem like a Japanese name... but, judging by all the names a detective would choose, I guess Conan is pretty nice."

"I hadn't time to think when a classmate of mine asked for my name. Also, it was Hakase that improved my glasses." Shinichi beckoned for Glitch to give them back. Glitch didn't realize that he still held them in his hands. "Oh? What sort of improvements?" Glitch handed him the glasses.

"I'll tell you later." Then, without another word, Shinichi went up to the door. While he opened it, he said, "And call me Conan." The door swept open without a single creak or screech. Glitch stood a little way away from the house, his back to a wall and his arms crossed.

"Hakase? Haibara?" Conan peered into the house while Glitch watched. Then, without warning, a new voice rang out, sounding like a little girl, but far more serious. And it was a furious voice too. It was hard for Glitch to hear, because she didn't shout, but rather hissed at Shinichi.

**"You **_**told **_**him, you idiot? I put that antidote in your bag when you went to Osaka, and I tried to stop you from coming back too soon, all because of **_**him!**_**" **The voice spoke in Japanese, so Glitch didn't know what the voice said._** "**_**And you just step up and announce your name to him?! Do you have **_**any **_**idea what you've done?!"**

Glitch lost all his caution and, forgetting whether he could go in yet or not, followed 'Conan' into the house. Inside, he saw the de-aged detective getting beat up by a brown-haired girl, the one Glitch had seen last time. But Glitch wondered whether this really _was _a girl. She resembled Conan in a way, but it was hard to describe what they were like when her face was shadowed by anger.

Poor Conan was held by the shoulders, and the girl shook him by them furiously. Her face was darkened and she didn't seem to realize that Glitch was in the room. Close behind then was an old man who wore glasses that Glitch took for as the professor that Conan had talked about. He was trying to calm the two down in Japanese.

Conan managed to take a look at Glitch, and the detective made a face and kept eying the door. Slowly, Glitch backed away until he could barely see the small group of three. The brunette spoke again, and Conan answered in a voice that was trying to reason. Glitch couldn't really tell what they were saying, but he knew it was about him that they've been talking about.

Soon he heard a call – English, to his relief – from Conan that said, "Yo, get in," and so he went in. The girl – also de-aged, by the looks of it – came up to him with a hostility that was so strong he could practically feel them in waves. She said, "You can't speak Japanese, can you?" When Glitch shook his head, she continued with, "You shouldn't have come here in the first place. What on earth happened to you to knock your head into thinking that Shinichi Kudo lived on as a child?"

Glitch often spoke with a rather rough accent, so he tried speaking as careful as possible. "Well... last time I came to Japan, on the last day of my time here, me and my friends visited this park. I think it was called..." He grappled for the name.

Conan's eyes shone with recognition. "Tropical Land?"

Glitch knew that it was it. "Yes... I had gone to ride the roller coaster. Afterwards I noticed that a case had occurred there – murder."

"The murder by using nothing more than a string..." Conan murmured.

"I didn't know what happened. As you can see, everyone here but me speaks Japanese. An' then I heard this teen solve the case... 'guess that was you."

"Yes, my last case as Shinichi Kudo for a long time."

"Then me an' my friends sep'rated, I went near the park's edge. There I saw the transaction, just behind a tree where neither could see me. Neither of those men, y'know, the short man with sunglasses and the guy with cash."

"Vodka." The girl said the name in a cursing manner. When Glitch looked confused, Conan explained that Vodka was what the man in black called himself. Glitch found this a little odd, but he continued anyway.

"Then I noticed ya, Kudo, hiding nearby. Then I saw this other guy strike you down an' poison you..."

"That was Gin." The girl shivered as Conan uttered the name.

"Then the men left, and I was thinkin' that ya went unconscious and I was 'bout to help, but then ya were shriekin' an' all, so I stood back. Ya were shrinkin', an' I could hardly believe it... I jes hadda stay back."

"You shouldn't have, you should've helped him," said the brown-haired again.

"I... I couldn't think. And when I saw the men help you, I thought ya'd be safe then, so I left. The rest, you would know, and I wouldn't."

"Did you tell anyone?!" Conan demanded, obviously out of his nostalgia. "N – no, whenever I tried m' tongue went dry an' I jes couldn't spit a thing out."

"A good thing, that," spat the girl.

Conan talked as if the girl didn't say a thing. "Then I guess I'll have to take the mantle of storyteller now... after you left unknown to me, and I regained consciousness, I ran away, not believing what happened. I tried to get in my house, but the gates were too tall. So after a bit of probing and proving, I managed to make Hakase believe my story, then he and I went inside my house. I told him what I saw, and he told me not to tell this to anyone...my friend Ran came inside my house, and so she met the boy named 'Conan Edogawa' and took me home. I had been about to tell her the truth, but I was interrupted... every...

single... time."

Conan paused. He took a deep breath and carried on. "I met this detective named Heiji Hattori. You may have heard of him, the Detective of The West. He had been looking for me, wanting to challenge me. At that time I was having a cold, so he gave me an alcoholic drink that, in time, allowed me to change back for a short time, so that I could defeat him in the challenge." Glitch didn't even ask him any questions. "Shortly after that, we met again at a serial killer case. I had solved it, and so Heiji discovered my true identity. He kept me secret, however, though he can get clumsy sometimes."

"And then there's Haibara." Conan glanced at the girl again. _Oh, so that's her name. _"She first came to the elementary school that I go to in order to make my cover stronger. Soon after yet another case, she confronted me."

Haibara began to tell Glitch what happened next. "I took the name Ai Haibara, so you can call me that. After I talked to your 'great detective' – "

"Oi, oi."

"– I told him about the fact that I lived here now."

"And then there are the gadgets," Conan pronounced. He showed Glitch the watch on his wrist. "See this? It's a tranquilliser. You open this top part here, and aim, and it shoots out a small needle that can put someone to sleep, but temporarily. I usually use this for deductions. Because a little kid definitely couldn't figure out all I could, I tranquilize Uncle Kogoro, and use his voice to solve the case. Here's what I use to copy his voice."

Now he brandished a small bow tie, that looked to be normal from the front but mechanical from the back. "Here's what I use to change my voice. It's connected to a phone I'll show you later, and also to a speaker shaped like a button that you can stick pretty much anywhere." Conan then used the device to change his voice. It impressed Glitch. _Shinichi must be lucky to have the professor as a friend to help him..._

"Now this is the phone I was talking about. And don't ask me why it's shaped like an earring." Glitch viewed the item with a new interest. It felt odd, he realized, to be shown things by what appeared to be a little boy. He didn't think much about it, though, and continued to observe all the devices Conan showed him.

They showed him the glasses, the skateboard, the suspenders – Glitch dryly compared them to his own, the ones he used in DCI outfit – and so much more that he couldn't remember all of them. After a couple more rounds of Q&As Glitch left them, saying that he'd be back.

But before he walked away, Hakase asked of he could see Glitch's earphones and mp3 player. He showed it to him, and he said that he would be able to make a device that would be a translator for Glitch. It would have an internal microphone to translate Glitch's own words on one earphone, and an external microphone on the other to capture other's words. To do it, however, they would need Glitch to return and give his words as well as his voice. Because Glitch accent was a barrier, Glitch supposed that he would have a very long stay in Japan indeed, so that the translator could work accurately and be able to translate each word.

Glitch left with a smile on his face.

**"**_So I'll drag the anchor up _

_And rest assured 'cause dreams don't turn to dust_**"**

**~ Dreams Don't Turn to Dust **-_ Owl City_

Glitch was humming to the beat that his earphones spiked into his ears. He turned the volume down as he got to his hotel. It was still relatively early, and he knew Mo wouldn't hear the end of it if Glitch began uttering excuses here and there. He still needed to practice, so with a quick visit to his room to change, he took the lift to the dance floor.

Once he got in, he saw Riptide battling against the Lu$h crew. They were dancing to the song _One More Night. _Meanwhile, Flash4ward were at the further end of the floor, with Taye teaching her sister a complex move. The rest of the dancers, including Mo, were either talking or practicing alone.

Mo spotted Glitch among the small crowd. "Good, you got here in the nick of time. Now why don't you start with a few basic moves... or a head spin?"

"No way, man," Glitch shuddered. Head spins always made him dizzy. Besides, they ruin his perfectly good spiky hair.

"Sure, then. Suit yourself. Now why don't you start with this?" Mo showed his prodigy a fairly simple move. Glitch copied him, and soon the protégé managed to advance to harder moves.

Then Flash4ward challenged them to a dance battle. They moved to the song _Scream _by Usher. Out of luck and practice Hi-Def won. Glitch had messed up in one of the moves, nearly slipping in the middle of the dance, but topped it off with a 360 degree backflip near the end. Lil' T looked furious, but she stayed silent when they withdrew form the center of attention.

They stayed up pretty late that night. After a couple more dance-offs Glitch both won and lost, he was pretty tired, and the blasting air conditioner made him pretty cold. After a last battle, the floor was closed up and would open again the next day.

It was hard for Glitch to move about, as he was tired and sleepy. He had to use Mo's shoulder for support, and even then he stumbled one in a while. After Lil' T gave him a snide comment about Glitch being clumsy, he managed to earn control over his feet again and made it to his room a little faster than he thought.

Before they went to sleep, Mo said to Glitch that he could spend the entire day tomorrow without having to go to the dance floor or practice, because all the crews had a free day.

Mo said that he would be either staying at the hotel or exploring Japan, so Glitch was free to come or go somewhere else. Glitch, of course, planned to meet up with Conan again. He never found anything so extraordinary, and he still couldn't believe it, not even now.

His last thought before he slept was that Japan had turned out to be a great place after all.

**Note : I might make a different story, so the next chapter might delay. Sorry guys! Also, this is not yaoi (didn't really want to say it, cause I don't think it would go off in anyone's head, but to make things clear, **_**this is not yaoi, and will have little or no romance on Glitch's side).**_


	5. And The Answer To Give Her

Conan walked back to Ran's house, his shoulders still hurting after Haibara had practically clawed them in anger of being found out. Then one of his phones rang, the one that belonged to Shinichi Kudo. After resetting the bow tie Conan picked up the call with a "Hello?" while sitting by a roadside bench.

"Shinichi... do you know where Conan is? He left his phone at home – " Conan wanted to slap himself "– and I can't find him anywhere... do you know where he is?" her voice was shaken, but also angry and determined to get back at Conan, who was, to her, an 'irresponsible, annoying and careless boy, even if he's smarter than anyone would have thought' which had a core of truth in it.

"Why didn't you call Hakase? He'd know better than me," Shinichi reasoned. After all, 'Conan' always 'played games' with the professor.

"If you want me to hang up..." Ran's tone was tempting.

"No, no, no, no, that's not what I meant... Maybe you should give him a bit of time... he'll be there. and I think you should lighten up the scolding. I had to listen to him complain about it over the phone once." It wasn't exactly a lie, if he got another hard scolding he would really complain to someone anyway. "My ears rang with his annoyed little voice for days after." And, of course, he wanted to avoid Ran's fury.

"Sorry! Alright, I'll wait, then. But if he isn't back in half an hour, I'm going to bring him in for some real telling. I don't care if he grumbles it to you."

"Right, bye." With a _beep, _he hung up. Then he turned off his 'Shinichi' phone and began to run back to Ran's house.

He managed to get there soon enough. He opened the door and announced in his child voice, "I'm home!"

His eyes met with those of an unsurprised Ran. "So... where _have _you been?"

"I... I wanted to play with my friends."

"And why did you leave your phone at home?"

"I forgot."

"You 'forgot' your phone when you went put with Heiji and Kazuha last time. Don't tell me that it was a coincidence that you 'forgot' again?"

"..."

**"**_I'd rather waltz than just walk through the forest_

_The trees keep the tempo and they sway in time_**"**

**~ Plant Life **- _Owl City_

A week later, Conan received a call from Glitch, who had already asked for Conan's number. They agreed to met at the Professor's – Conan remembered to tell Ran as well as bring both phones – and begin their work on the translating device.

Once Conan got there, he saw the invention Hakase had created. It looked like nothing more than a music player.

Hakase explained, "The right earphone will capture Glitch's words and relay them in Japanese through both earphones, which have speakers on them. The left earphone captures other's words and translate them into English, repeating the translated words with an internal speaker that only Glitch can hear."

There was a picture of each earphone. The right one consisted of a small microphone and a speaker. The left one had two speakers and a microphone. And when Conan tried it out, it worked. The professor did not tell how it worked, but when Conan spoke with English the words that were relayed came out as Japanese in Glitch's voice.

**"Hey, ya in there?" **called Glitch. His slim figure walked into the room.

**"Yeah, here. Why don't you check this gadget out?" **Conan took the device and brought it to him. **"Try it."**

**"How am I supposed to try it," **Glitch asked in sarcasm, **"when no one's taught me how, eh?" **Then he placed the player in his pocket and put on the earphones. Conan realized that today his hair had a bit of light brown on it.

**"So you just say what you want to say and it relays your words, all in the course of a second. You control **

**the volume with the player. And the other earphone catches the word so father people and relays it just loud enough for you to hear," **explained Conan.

Glitch turned the translator on with Conan and Hakase helping, then Conan asked in Japanese, "Does it work?" and to his surprise Glitch said, "Works like a charm." Surprisingly, his mouth moved as if he said the words. No one questioned the attribute anyway.

The translator was designed to work alongside Glitch's accent, so each conversation was smooth. Glitch also said that he had the entire day for himself, so they talked together.

Conan began to rib Glitch on his own life. "Well," Glitch began, "as you probably already know, I'm a dancer. I live with my best friend and dance partner Mo, who's pretty much like a brother to me. Our dance partnership, or crew, is called Hi-Def. There are other dance crews, such as Riptide and Flash4ward. And were all part of a dance unison known as the DCI, or the Dance Central Intelligence." Glitch looked ahead distantly, as if thinking. "The Intelligence is a defense against dance crimes, or so our leader Rasa says... we've got lots of ways to learn the moves we use, such as a time-travel machine."

The young dancer never said whether 'Glitch' was his real name or not, and Conan never asked him. Glitch told him of his life and what he usually did. Even though only Conan really listened – Haibara had gone downstairs to the basement while Hakase was working on some other invention – Glitch didn't mind and spoke with Conan like when the detective spoke of himself.

After a long while of talking, Glitch said, "Can I see what your house looks like?" and Conan allowed him to, unlocking the gate and opening the front door to hear an astonished "Wow!" from Glitch.

"I know." Conan smiled as he remembered long nights of tea and books. He remembered reading and quoting each sentence Sherlock Holmes ever said. His favorite, of course, was _'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'_

With a gentle hand, Glitch slid a book out of its shelf smoothly, creating a slight rustle as the pages ruffled among each other. The book was, coincidentally, Arthur Conan Doyle's _A Study in Scarlet. _It was in Japanese, but the dance prodigy appeared to still admire it. Fingers trembling with awe, the younger boy opened the first few pages. "You really like to read, don't you?"

"Well, yes. My father, Yusaku Kudo, is a famous novel writer."

"...I see. But even so, it's extraordinary that one can have so many books in a three-people house. I mean, _look! _All these novels. It's hard to believe." Glitch didn't even ask to be shown any of the other rooms.

"I don't think we should stay here long, though. You can never tell, but if anyone finds out that someone lives here we're in danger." Conan and Glitch went outside, and Conan locked the gate before they ran towards the Professor's house.

"Conan-kun?" called a musical voice. Glitch wondered who it was while Conan slapped his forehead, uttering a quiet "Great" when a group of three kids ran over. And, yes, they were the rest of the Detective Boys. The one who just called was Ayumi.

"Conan-kun, Ai-chan! You know the professor invited us to play, right?" Ayumi called again.

**"**_So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind_

_And take to the sky_**"**

**~ To The Sky **- _Owl City_

"Bye, Hakase!" Conan waved his hand. He sighed. His friends had asked him who Glitch was, and the dancer only answered with, "A passing stranger who just happened to admire the Professor's house." Luckily, no one noticed the use of his earphones. The dancer left afterwards.

Now Conan was going back home after a phone call from Ran saying that dinner was almost done and if Conan wanted to eat, he'd better be there soon. Conan was walking, and while he walked, he remembered a time when Ran had been so sure of his true identity and had taken him to his house. Now he just breathed in relief because Ran never became sure of him being Shinichi.

Once he got there, he saw Ran, who had cooked some dinner for him. Apparently, Kogoro had already finished his share and was about to go out and play Mahjong with his friends. After hearing him and Ran arguing, Conan ate his noodles and was grateful for the peace that hung over the room after Kogoro had gone out at last, much to Ran's distaste.

Ran had wanted to call Shinichi again, and, because Conan was there, received no response. Ran had looked a little sad, but Conan tried to reassure her by saying, "I'm sure that Shinichi-niichan has his reason for not answering your call, Ran-neechan. Maybe he had to face a tough case and already went to sleep."

Ran didn't answer and just gave Conan a look of thanks, though he knew she wasn't convinced. Of course, was a case the only reason for one not to answer a call? A tear ran down the karate girl's cheek, glinting in the light of the room. Conan felt his heart tear in half in pity and regret. He swallowed and left. As he made for his room, a thought clouded his mind. _I'm sorry, Ran. I truly am._

Inside his room, he did his homework, which would have been easy if not for the fact that he had to dull his handwriting. And afterwards, he would have to write again on a piece of paper regularly so that if and when he changed back permanently he would not have to live down the truth that he was terrible at writing.

He finished his work and sighed. He amused himself briefly by twisting this watch around his wrist. He examined how it really looked like a normal watch. He counted the holes on the watch buckle. He looked at the metal part of the buckle from different angles. Once in a long time, he marveled the artwork the professor made for him.

Then he amused himself by remembering his stay in Osaka. It had not been the most important event, except that a full-scale prank war had occurred. Conan grimaced at the thought of him having red hair. He hated dye now. He really did. But at least the war was over.

**"**_Shipwreck in a sea of faces_

_There's a dreamy world up there_**"**

**~ To The Sky **-_ Owl City_

Conan felt as if he should have banged his head against the chalkboard in front of him. On the board was a 'difficult' question, or it was, according to his teacher.

It was : 19 + 4 - 8 =?

All of the other schoolchildren – except for Ai, of course – were looking confused. The Detective Boys didn't sound too perplexed. And Conan was chosen to answer the question, so he wrote down '15' with a bored look on his face. Sure, everyone praised him – except for Ai, again – but Conan had grown used to this. He actually worried that being in such a state could cause him to go... crazy...?

After the bell rang, Conan packed all his stuff into his bag and swung it onto his back. As usual, the Detective Boys accompanied him until they parted. Once he reached Ran's house, he dumped his stuff onto the floor, sighing. He picked up a book, feeling slightly disinterested. He flipped through the pages with one hand, phone in the other. He wished that he would become Shinichi again one day, permanently... He wished that his life would turn for the better, some time in the future... but, he realized that, most of all, he wanted Ran to be happy, with or without him. she had, in a way, faced more hardship than he had. And she deserved the best she could get.

And Conan would have to find the answer to give her

**Note : I know the translator thing is a little unrealistic, but hello, voice changing devices? Sorry, guys.**

**Also, because Shinichi's house doesn't have anyone living in it, this story probably occurs between Haibara's appearance and Subaru's. **

**After Conan was examining his wristwatch, he referred to a prank war at Heiji's. It's a story I made up again, titled Gettin' Back At 'Cha. You can find it in the Anime category, in the regular fanfic category, as Glitch didn't appear there, so that it wouldn't be a crossover sidestory.**

**Reviews are always welcome.**

**Agent Glitch out, bye!**


End file.
